Early maths programme shows promise in boosting progress

Today, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published the independent evaluation of Reception Jigsaw, a professional development programme which aims to improve maths teaching and outcomes for reception children (four- to five-year-olds).

Delivered by White Rose Maths, the programme is underpinned by core principles of early maths teaching, such as learning through play, using real objects and meaningful contexts to introduce learning, and building on individual children’s interests. Reception staff take part in five training twilights and five coaching sessions over the course of an academic year.

This evaluation of Reception Jigsaw, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), looked at the impact of Reception Jigsaw on young children’s (four- to five-year-olds) maths development.

The researchers looked at data from 138 schools and found that children whose school took part in the programme made, on average, the equivalent of one extra month’s progress compared to those who did not.